South Africa: In This Village Water Comes in a Donkey Cart

Tap water in Sekgakgapeng, Limpopo, has been unreliable for five years

Every day, Desmond Moleba fetches water with his donkey cart from a fire hydrant in Sekgakgapeng near Mokopane. He distributes it for a fee to households who have seen little running water in their taps for five years.

When GroundUp arrived at about midday, Desmond Moleba, a resident of Sekgakgapeng New Stands, had just come to the fire hydrant with his cart loaded with empty 25-litre containers.

"I have been helping the community fetch water from this point for more than five years," he said. "Many households struggle to carry water from here to their homes. I cannot imagine someone carrying a 25-litre container and walking almost a kilometre home. How many times a day can one do that? The municipality has let us down for years now."

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His cart can carry 20 containers of 25 litres each. This is enough for only two households, as each household typically uses about ten 25-litre containers of water per day.

"I make at least 20 trips a day supplying water to my community, and residents pay me R50 for ten 25-litre containers. If someone does not have money at the time, I still help that family. I know they will pay me later," said Moleba.

About two kilometres away, outside Sekgakgapeng Extension 19, families have connected a small pipe to the main water pipeline. When GroundUp visited the area on 3 June, a resident had set fire to the surrounding grass to drive away snakes.

GroundUp found Ramodise Mokonyane from Extension 19 filling three 25-litre containers with water, which he planned to load into his car.

"I have to drive here every day to fetch water. If I am going away, I make sure my family has enough water for the number of days I will be absent," said Mokonyane.

At both collection points, residents ensure that after filling their containers they tie the small pipe shut to prevent wastage.

Lesiba Kgonyane, a community activist, told GroundUp that supply to the taps in their yards was erratic. Sometimes there was no water for months on end; sometimes a little water flowed over a weekend and then not again for weeks.

He said residents had approached the Mohlakwana Municipality several times to ask for help.

"But we receive only empty promises. Either they tell us they will appoint a contractor to fix the water challenges, or they send municipal workers, but we have not seen any lasting solution," said Kgonyane.

He said water tankers are only sent to households when funerals are held.

GroundUp emailed and phoned Mogalakwena Municipality spokesperson Malesela Selokela on 9 and 10 June. She promised to respond but had not done so at the time of publication.

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